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Archive 2015 · For critique.

  
 
ben egbert
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · For critique.


I would like to pre-post here for critique before posting at Landscape. I have several problems. One is being able to choose which to post and or even if any are worthy. Two is if the processing is ok.

This is 3 images from last weeks hike in Taylor Creek Zion. This is known as Double Arch Alcove and is fairly well known but not as common as other icons. It is in a part of Zion that is less frequented, and is a 2-1/2 mile hike one way and because of the tight canyon very difficult to photograph.

The sun is behind the scene and I am shooting the shaded side, but the deep red, and great reflected light sets the walls aglow. I have not added saturation, but maybe I need to remove some to make it believable. The DR is easy and these are single shots with not a lot of processing.

There is no room to get back far enough to include the whole cliff with a level camera, not even 11mm is wide enough. The first is a vertical with a small upward angle and most of the bottom cut off. I don’t like squarish landscapes so I am showing this more for info,

The second is level and has some bottom cut off but only shows the bottom alcove.

The third is tilted up enough to show both alcoves. It has leaning trees but if I fixed them, the whole scene goes bonkers.

I made verticals for pano stitching but the distortion between shots makes a very bad looking stitch.

Please let me know what you would do with these.


















Oct 26, 2015 at 04:33 PM
beanpkk
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · For critique.


I will probably be in the minority when I say I like #3. The colors in Zion are just amazing.

Just FYI and as an aside, are you familiar with Joe's Zion Guide? He has a set of photos and a trail description for the Taylor Creek hike: http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/taylorcreekpix.cfm

keith



Oct 26, 2015 at 06:10 PM
lighthound
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · For critique.


This is a tough one with these because each one has it's strong points over the others and each have weaknesses.

#1 I like for it's inclusiveness of the entire vertical wall. If you had a smidgen more room at the top and could recover some details in that hot spot up there I think this one would be my pick. I'd crop or reduce the brightness of those very bottom rocks on the right. They pull the eyes down and out of the frame.

#2 This one wins in my eyes overall. I like the more intimate feel of this one and how it really show cases all the crazy nice colors of the canyon and foliage at the base. This would have been my second pick after #3 but wins by default due to the distortion of the trees in #3.

#3 This was going to be my pick of this set but now I see the distortion of the trees on either side. If there is any way you can correct that this to me is a killer shot.

Hope some of all that helps a little Ben.

You nailed some nice shots on this trip!

Dave



Oct 26, 2015 at 06:53 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · For critique.


beanpkk wrote:
I will probably be in the minority when I say I like #3. The colors in Zion are just amazing.

Just FYI and as an aside, are you familiar with Joe's Zion Guide? He has a set of photos and a trail description for the Taylor Creek hike: http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/taylorcreekpix.cfm

keith


Thanks Keith, yes, I read this guide and many others before doing the trip, including a video. Been planning it for about a year.

Thanks for your vote. If I post 3, I think it has to stand as an upward tilted shot with the distortion that entails. If I pull those trees back, it twists the rock features out of shape and those shapes are well known. I am sure an advanced Photoshop person may know how, but I almost never shoot non level so it is a skill I have not developed. But this scene left me no choice.

For future commenters, would you post it uncorrected?



Oct 26, 2015 at 07:29 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · For critique.


lighthound wrote:
This is a tough one with these because each one has it's strong points over the others and each have weaknesses.

#1 I like for it's inclusiveness of the entire vertical wall. If you had a smidgen more room at the top and could recover some details in that hot spot up there I think this one would be my pick. I'd crop or reduce the brightness of those very bottom rocks on the right. They pull the eyes down and out of the frame.

#2 This one wins in my eyes overall. I like the more intimate feel of this
...Show more


Thanks Dave. I could maybe crop out the right side leaner and maybe the one at the far left. This is already a 16x9 crop, but maybe more toward 10x5 or just take more off the bottom. I think the rest of the trees are not too obtrusive.

By the way, I tried fixing the distortion and I did not even know what filter in Photoshop to use, let alone how to use it.



Oct 26, 2015 at 07:31 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · For critique.


Ok, I figured it out, here is one with some really healthy correction, I think it was -40 in the lens correction filter. I had to stop here because it started eating the top of the arch.

Still some leaners, but I think it looks better, whatcha think?





distortion partially fixed.




Oct 26, 2015 at 09:32 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · For critique.


Here are a couple more. The distortion fixed version bothers me because it mangles image quality. I went ahead and stitched the images I had shot for a pano and it also distorts things. But i found a single vertical shot that provides nearly the same view and has no distortion. Note that one tree on the left is a natural leaner.

I am showing them here uncropped for your cropping suggestions. Getting rid of the foreground clutter results in a crummy aspect ratio. I am inclined to let some stay. I like 5x7 for verticals. 4x5 in a pinch, square is not my style.





3 image stitched pano 11mm vertical







vertical single, level or near level camera.




Oct 27, 2015 at 11:23 AM
beanpkk
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · For critique.


Ben,

The partial fix on the distortion looks good to me. I will have to leave to others the decision of what to post on the Landscape Forum -- I haven't posted there in years.

keith



Oct 27, 2015 at 08:31 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · For critique.


beanpkk wrote:
Ben,

The partial fix on the distortion looks good to me. I will have to leave to others the decision of what to post on the Landscape Forum -- I haven't posted there in years.

keith


Thanks Keith, glad to have your opinion.



Oct 27, 2015 at 09:02 PM





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